When I arrived at school today, the office staff was buzzing. There was a shooting at a school in New Prague, a city 45 miles south of the Twin Cities. Everyone began checking and refreshing their smart phones. The next bit of news we got was that there were hospital staging areas being set up. The principal sent out an email saying that it wouldn't be long before the students started getting texts from their parents making sure they were OK. Our instructions were to tell them that our school was safe and to focus on getting their work done. It was a tense few minutes.
Thankfully, it turned out to be a prank call by a 12 year old and no one was hurt. Yet, this incident is what educators and their support staff now have to deal with every day. People that don't work in a school simply have no idea what runs through your head when something like this happens or even if it is just your standard lock down drill. The simple fact that we have to do it is a really disgusting statement on our culture. Adding to the nausea is that our country is effectively being held hostage by the most irresponsible people I have ever seen: the gun lobby and their supporters. Their view of the American people is FUBAR.
I say this because these are the same people who claim that because human beings are, by nature, corrupt, we should never trust them with the responsibility to govern. They whine like little babies about liberals and how the left's embrace of Jean Jacques Rousseau's social contract is naive and ultimately destructive. Yet, when it comes to guns, suddenly (as if out of someone's ass) people are very responsible and it's, "Fuck you, don't take my gun, Hitler!!"
The irony here is that gun right supporters are fully embracing Rousseau's concept of the general will, whether they want to admit it or not. Recall that Rousseau posited that the general will of the people was to embrace their natural state of liberty and freedom. Any sort of collective action would always be good and further the rights of the individual. In the case of gun rights, it's the second amendment. People will always be responsible and act in their best interests because the general will dictates that liberty must preserved.
Even though today's incident resulted in no injuries nor fatalities, it illustrates just how irresponsible people can be. Most people can't be trusted with a phone let alone a gun. What does that say about the gun lobby and supporters who place so much faith in the American people who continually shit all over them every day with thousands of gun deaths every year? Interestingly, I think that gun supporters were onto something when they suggest we adopt a system that is similar to Israel's gun laws. No one is prohibited from owning a gun but if you want to own one, you have to prove that you can be responsible with one. In fact, I'd go as far to say that would include any gun, automatic or semi-automatic. Go through all the necessary training, mental tests and background checks...all of which will be checked on a regular basis...and you are free to build yourself an arsenal if you so desire.
In short, don't ban the guns (the supply), ban some of the people (the demand). They are not, by nature, responsible nor are they good.
10 comments:
I say this because these are the same people who claim that because human beings are, by nature, corrupt, we should never trust them with the responsibility to govern.
Would you like to have it explained to you how you got it wrong, or do you really want to stick to deliberate mischaracterization?
I think I'd like some more chicken shit questions with no real individual analysis whatsoever:)
Mark I wrote this on your blog 02/26/13-
A gun owners perspective-
Nothing is perfect in life and there are millions of guns out there that will continue to be misused but here are my thoughts. You need to be logical and even if one life is saved its worth it. Enforce the laws on the books until better ones are on the books.
Close all loop holes. Its crazy the type of weapons you can buy at these guns shows from dudes that are not dealers. You could just have been released from prison for a gun related crime and go and get a gun. Thats nuts. If you buy a gun it comes with a title just like a car. If you want to sell your gun privately, you and the would be buyer have to transfer the title and once the new owner clears a background check the sale and transfer of title would be cleared.
Smart background checks are also important. Meaning all crimes and violent mental health issues are stored in one place. Its relatively cheap and easy to host data. With technology this should not be a huge burden and easy access is key. Get rid of all the red tape when dealing with criminals and people who have mental health issues with violent tendencies.
Take a 15 hour class and learn about all types of guns. In the class work with live bullets and see the power of the weapon. This class must teach people the responsibility that comes with owning a gun. Once you have completed the class you will have a license that allows you to be a gun owner. Think of it like a drivers education class and then receiving your drivers license. If people have cleared the background checks and have taken the class I don’t see a issue if they want to own a AR-15 with a 50 round clip or 50 guns. We just have to be responsible and understand that America is not what it use to be. None of this is perfect but its better than nothing.
If only there were more people like you, Bubba. Thanks for the reminder!
No one is prohibited from owning a gun but if you want to own one, you have to prove that you can be responsible with one.
If you want to go this route and gun owners have to 'Prove' they have a right, then move this to voting which is infinitely more damaging. No one is prohibited from voting but if you want to vote, you have to prove you can be responsible with your vote. To prove that you have a vested interest in this country, you have to serve in the armed forces for minimum 2 years. After that, you are able to own guns as well since you 'proved' you can handle them.
In addition, you cannot serve in any state or federal government capacity unless you have at least 4 years of service and can pass civics and economics tests.
M, you might be on to something. My plan immediately fixes a host of issues.
How about, "No one is permitted to blog without training, and a license showing that he can do so without anonymity, responsibly, for the common good of society (as the licensing authority deems it)."
Unlimited speech can be dangerous, after all. We must keep people from being misled.
There go those over sized amygdalas again, fellers. And appeal to probability, of course. The good news is that your panic mongering isn't working anymore. You threw everything you had at the president and the Democrats and people still thought you were paranoid nuts. Keep doing it again, only harder:)
That last comment is just more proof that you don't actually read, let alone comprehend, what others say, Mark, (except for the sloppy kisses you get and give from and to Blubba).
More proof, as if any were needed, that Mark doesn't really read what those who disagree with him write, or if he does, it's only with the most shallow, superficial attention possible. There's certainly no more reading comprehension than might be expected from a crack-addled squirrel. It's quite sad.
I think I'd like some more chicken shit questions with no real individual analysis whatsoever:)
So you prefer to keep the discourse on your blog somewhere between a 2 year old's tantrum and a troupe of howler monkeys repelling an invader.
Got it.
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